Belonging
by KatLeePT
Summary: Mary Margaret/Snow White invites Regina into her family's fold. Spoilers!


She'd always imagined what it would have felt like to have held her daughter in her arms for longer, to have actually been able to hold her and felt safe not just for herself but for her whole, budding family, but she had never gotten to have those moments. She had barely even had the child when she had had to let her go into a future they knew nothing of save that it was her one chance to survive. She had feared she would never see her again but had known it was her only chance to live.

But now, holding her baby boy and knowing her family is safe at last, Snow can not think of a better moment. She is surrounded by her family - by her loving husband, her daughter who's come home at last, and, amazingly enough, her grandson. Love envelops her. Every one's smiling and happy, and she's never felt better. The Dwarves will be here soon, as will Red. Her family is whole, and for the first time that she can remember, truly safe. Even the Evil Queen is no longer a threat.

It is only then, as she thinks of her once evil stepmother, that Snow realizes that there is still something missing from here. She has her family, her children, her grandchild, her husband, . . . but her parents are long gone. Her stepmother still lives, but although they are barely allies now, she doubts they will ever be a family. Still, it wasn't that long ago that Regina stood up to her own mother's ghost to protect her and her unborn baby. She should be here, too, and she knows before she lifts her eyes from her child's joyous face, that she is.

She doesn't see her at first. Her eyes are instead met with a pair of young, imploring eyes, and she understands immediately. She follows Henry's shifting gaze to the doorway just in time to see the heel of Regina's boot. She's out there, not wanting to be far from her son, something which Snow certainly understands, but yet knowing that she is not wanted in this time. Their family is complete; neither she nor Hook, who also hangs back, feel welcomed.

They're not, really. She knows, before she calls to her, that both Charming and Emma will wonder why on Earth she wants their greatest enemy to impose on what should rightfully be one of the happiest moments of her entire life. It is indeed just that, quite possibly even _the_ happiest moment as she has both her true love and both their children with them, but she has so much joy in her heart that she can not help but to want to share it. She doesn't want any one who has helped them reach this moment and save their child to feel left out or be hurting when she is so happy, and besides, Regina isn't the woman she was.

She's no longer their enemy. She can be the friend she once was, the friend she was as a stranger who first saved Snow White's life, the friend who Snow herself let down when she shared her secret with her mother and caused her true love to be killed. Indeed, she might have always been that friend if only Snow had known not to trust her mother, but she hadn't and had caused her so much suffering before Regina had lashed back. No, their history is just as much Snow's fault as it is Regina's, if not more so. She may have only been a child, but she had still cost her her true love.

Henry's looking at her again, but she doesn't have to meet his gaze to feel her mind already being made up. Raising her head, she clears her throat and calls out in the tone of one royal calling to another, "Regina."

"What are you doing?" Emma hisses. Charming looks just as shocked but doesn't voice it. Even Hook looks up from his corner near the doorway. But Henry grins. Snow smiles, knowing she's doing the right thing.

Regina's heels make sharp, click-clacking sounds on the hospital linoleum outside her door as she turns around and peers snidely in at the happy, family union. "What do you want?"

Snow refuses to let her attitude diminish her bright smile or spirit. "I thought you might want to say hello to the newest member of our family. You _are_ my stepmother, after all." As Regina's shock registers on her face, Snow whispers out of the corner of her mouth to Emma before her daughter can make another snide remark, "And she _did_ help save him."

"From her wicked sister," Emma doesn't waste time in pointing out the fact that Regina had brought harm to them all again, even if it hadn't been her doing.

"The best family isn't the one we're given," Snow tells her daughter as Regina slowly edges into the room. "It's the one we choose."

Her husband smiles, and she knows Charming is behind her.

"Come on, Mom," encourages Henry. "Say hi to my . . . " He looks down at the baby in surprise, his young mind just now registering the fact of their true kinship. " . . . my uncle."

Regina comes up to stand behind Henry. She lays one hand on his shoulder, but only she knows that she needs to feel his presence in this time to keep her from verbally ripping Snow White and her little family apart. She knows what she's doing. She's trying to include her in their family moment, but she's never been a part of them. Even when they were helping each other back in the Enchanted Forest, she had still been completely apart from her and her Prince. But she recognies from whence Snow's kindness is coming and knows she doesn't deserve it, not after all the many times she's tried to kill her and her family.

Charming and Snow are again watching their baby while Emma watches Regina guardedly. Even Hook's attention hasn't swayed. Slowly, Regina's eyes trail from the back of Henry's head to the baby in Snow's arms. It is little and innocent and, she supposes, sweet enough. Still, she's seen sweeter babies. She's held souls that were far more important to her.

She looks at him now, and knows that no matter how much Snow tries to accept her back into her family, she'll never truly be a part of them nor does she need to be. She has all the family she really needs right here in her son, who's been returned to her at last. Emma sees the way Regina caresses their child's shoulders, knows she wants to hug him, and her guard finally softens. Regina isn't all bad, and she did save them this time from the curse. She will also do anything to protect their son, as she proved when she let him go to be with her and have a chance at a normal life. Emma can only imagine the pain she must have undergone while Henry no longer remembered her.

"Would you like to hold him?" Snow asks, looking up at Regina.

"That's okay," the former evil Queen says, but she does smile this time. "I've held more precious babies than yours." She does hug Henry this time at which he protests, blushing, "Aw, Mom."

"We almost sound like a real family," Emma observes in surprise, but a new voice breaks in.

"Who knew the Evil Queen had a soft spot?"

"What are you doing here?"

The little family looks up to see the Dwarves, Red, and Granny entering the room. If looks could kill, Regina would already be a smoldering spot from LeRoy's glower, and Snow White can hear the quiet growl starting in the back of her best friend's throat. "It's okay," she tells them quickly. "I invited her."

"Why?" Grumpy jumps to the point.

"Because, even though we didn't always act like it, we _are_ family."

Grumpy looks at her, and Snow smiles calmly in response to his thunderous look that says he's growling about his adopted sister's idiocy. Red's skirt swishes, and Snow's look turns to her. _Put the tail away and calm down,_ her eyes tell her, and Red smiles at how well she knows her.

"When do we get to hold the new Prince?" Granny asks, shifting the conversation for which Snow is grateful.

"Any time you're ready. You're all my family, and I want to share this moment with you." Her eyes meet Regina's even as the Queen steps back to allow the others to come forward. "_All_ of you," she says with a small, hopeful grin that is rewarded by Regina's true smile.

She doesn't need any other baby. She doesn't need family beyond Henry. Yet, looking into Snow's hopeful eyes, seeing her willingness to put their past behind them, and actually, truly feeling wanted at last, even if it is but by one member of the Charming family, Regina finds herself thinking that it would be nice, after all this time, to have a few friends who weren't terrified of her and simply helping her to keep from being the next ones she killed. Henry goes to his mother's side and hugs her tightly. "It's okay, Mom," he whispers so quietly that only Regina and Red can hear him. "You don't have anything else to prove. You belong here."

Ruby looks at Regina's slowly smiling face and sees the way she holds her child. She notes, too, the light in her eyes and finally smiles and looks back to Snow and her Granny. She's ready when it comes her time to hold her best friend's new child. No one is still watching Regina. All eyes are on the new Prince, and with the rest of the room distracted and Henry close by her side, Regina thinks to herself maybe, just maybe, she does. Maybe she can be happy, and maybe these moments are her next few steps to her living happily ever after. She doesn't know, but she can hope at last. Regardless, she'll hold to Henry and the love he gives her forever. As Snow's eyes meet hers, though, and she smiles at her again, she thinks once more, _Maybe I do belong._

The End


End file.
